Page 243 of The Bonus

“I hate Tupperware,” he cries. A cupboard door slams and I smile to myself. I wish I had a camera down there so I could watch this firsthand.

Eventually, the three of them appear at my door. “We’ve come to say goodbye.”

I hug Dominic and then turn to Lucia. “You need your hair done, bubba.”

Gabriel’s face falls. “Oh.”

“Get the brush.” I point to the dresser. “Just brush her hair and tie it up. Quickly, though, you’re going to be late.”

Gabriel grabs the brush and then looks over Lucia’s hair, he picks up the top layer to find a mass of knots lying underneath. His eyes widen in horror. “What in the rat’s nest is this?”

“Just brush it.”

“What?”

“Pull the brush through the knots.”

“I don’t know if you’ve seen these knots, Grace, but this isn’t a simple brush-through kind of situation.”

“Give me the brush.” I hold out my good hand, and he passes it over. I begin to quickly brush through the knots. Lucia screws up her face as her head pulls back with each stroke.

“Enough.” Gabriel snatches the brush from me. “That’s barbaric.” He begins to brush through her hair slowly and carefully.

“You’re going to be late.”

“I don’t give a flying…” He looks around and remembers where he is. “That’s fine.” He continues brushing at a snail’s pace.

Dominic rolls his eyes and snatches the brush from Gabriel. “Let me do it.” He grabs the scrunchie and puts her hair into a ponytail, it’s messy but it will do.

God help the photos today; they are going to be a disaster.

“Off you go,” I tell them.

“When I get back, we have to go to my house. I have a Zoom meeting at eleven and I need an office,” he tells me.

“Okay.”

I get a quick kiss on the cheek and the three of them run down the stairs and I hear the car take off. I smile into the silence.

First morning down…

28

Grace

“Your coffee, madam.” Gabriel smiles as he reappears after the school drop. He passes me a cup of coffee and sits on the bed beside me. The morning sunlight is beaming on his face, and today seems much brighter. I give him the once-over, his hair is wild, the two cords are hanging out of his track pants, and he has his T-shirt on inside out. “Did you…”

“Did I what?”

“Go into the coffee shop like that?”

“Yeah, why?” He frowns.

“Your shirt is on inside out.”

“No, it’s not.” He glances down to look at himself and his face falls. “Oh my god. It’s happening.”

I giggle at his horror. “What’s happening?”

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